Tag Archives: Elizabeth Edwards

UPDATE at 8:37 pm 8/8/2008: Huffington Post points out that, per Edwards’ statement, Elizabeth Edwards knew about the affair before John declared for the Presidency. Strange complicity considering that, if the public ever found out about the affair, it could severely damage the Democratic Party had Edwards become the nominee.

David Bonior, Edwards’ campaign manager, told the Associated Press on Friday that he was disappointed and angry after hearing about Edwards’ confession.

“Thousands of friends of the senators and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him and he’s let him down,” said Bonior. “They’ve been betrayed by his action.”

Asked whether the affair would damage Edwards’ future aspirations in public service, Bonior replied: “You can’t lie in politics and expect to have people’s confidence.”

Well, here’s the beginning of the end of this story (and of Edwards’ career)…

John Edwards admitted to an affair with his former videographer, Rielle Hunter, in an interview with ABC News, though he denies tabloid reports that he is the father of her child.

In the interview, scheduled to be broadcast Friday night on ABC’s Nightline, the former North Carolina senator said he repeatedly lied about the affair during his failed presidential campaign.

He told ABC News that he didn’t love Hunter, 42, and knew he wasn’t the father of her child because of the timing of the baby’s birth on Feb. 27.

The National Enquirer first reported the allegations in October and published a new report in July on an incident between the tabloid’s reporters and Edwards at a Beverly Hills hotel where Hunter and her child reportedly were staying.

If Edwards thought he could forever dodge the issue of mistress and love child, he obviously forgot about the convention, which starts on August 25th. He would normally be expected to speak…but he must first clear up the “confusion.”

Did he or didn’t he?

Though the televised media isn’t touching this matter (yet), the print media is beginning to ask. Here’s excerpt and link from The Dallas Morning News article today…

“He absolutely does have to [resolve it]. If it’s not true, he has to issue a stronger denial,” said Gary Pearce, the Democratic strategist who ran Mr. Edwards’ 1998 Senate race.

Mr. Edwards’ decision not to take questions about the allegations has allowed doubts to linger and political bloggers to speculate.

UPDATE 7/29/2008–10:04 AM EDT: So far there seems to be no additional MSM press coverage in the U.S. of this matter. Keeping an eye on things and will report if the dam springs a leak.

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Everyone now knows the story broken by the National Enquirer of the alleged tryst of John Edwards and Rielle Hunter at the Beverly Hilton on the night of July 21st and its subsequent confirmation by Fox News reporters who spoke with a Beverly Hilton security guard who stated for the record that…

he encountered a shaken and ashen-faced Edwards — whom he did not immediately recognize — in a hotel men’s room early Tuesday morning in a literal tug-of-war with reporters on the other side of the door.

[CORRECTION: per Ron Rosenbaum–see his comment below–the following is incorrect in that Ron’s original story was subsequently clarified to indicate that it was not about Edwards. The erroneous Backstory is left in this post merely to provide clarity to original readers]